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Ancient sport of kabaddi under fire from Immigration Canada

South Asian sport loses special visas after imported players fail to return to India.

Kabaddi is an ancient Indian game that incorporates elements of wrestling, tag and rugby. The sport has come under fire because some people brought to Canada from India to play the game have not returned. (Rick Madonik / Star file photo)

By Raveena AulakhStaff Reporter

Fri., April 13, 2012

Every summer, kabaddi makes an impact on the playing fields in Greater Toronto as thousands of South Asians descend to watch players compete in this ancient Indian sport.

With another season set to begin, kabaddi is making a splash for a very different reason — allegations of human smuggling involving players.

Immigration Canada officials say that of the 670 visas issued in 2011 to players from India, 91 have not returned home, while 27 have filed refugee claims.

Immigration has already pulled the plug on a special visa process, initiated last year, that enabled players to fast-track through the system.

The scandal has sent the South Asian community into a tizzy, the ethnic radio waves dizzy.

Who are these 91 people and where are they?

No one knows.

“Everyone is talking about what happened … it is shocking,” said Kulran Lalli, a kabaddi player in Brampton. “We are very worried what it means for the sport and this season.”

Kabaddi, a sport played in many parts of India including rural Punjab, combines speed and power in a game that has elements of both rugby and wrestling. In recent years, it has transformed from a rural game to a sport played for big cash prizes in countries such as the United States, New Zealand, Australia, Britain and Canada.

In Canada, there are at least seven kabaddi federations, each with six to 10 sports clubs. These federations organize tournaments where locals and players from India compete.

The season runs from May to August. Spectators pay to watch and there is sponsorship money, too. Politicians are known to lavish attention on the sport. No one will say how much money each player makes while in Canada, but it is believed to be upward of $20,000.

Players blame the scandal on both the federations and on immigration officials. “There aren’t even 200 good players in Punjab,” said Major Singh Natt, a Brampton businessman who runs the United Sports and Cultural Club.

“How did immigration end up giving visas to 670 people? Who were these people?” he asked. “Did immigration check whether these were players?”

If Punjabi radio stations are to be believed, many were family and friends of federation officials. In one case, a servant was also brought along.

There are three kabaddi federations each in Ontario and B.C., and one in Alberta.

Before 2011, kabaddi players were not issued special visas. Those involved in the sport applied for their own temporary resident visas, like any other visitor to Canada. Due to increasing requests from federations, immigration officials created a program where these organizations could recommend players.

About 152 kabaddi visas were issued in 2009 and 298 more in 2010. Under the special visa arrangement, the total jumped to 670 in 2011.

The special visa process has ended, immigration spokesman Bill Brown confirmed, and players will once again have to apply for temporary visas.

A few players are known to have disappeared while in Canada in previous years, but this is the first time so many have gone missing.

Brown said privacy issues prevent immigration from releasing details of the 91 people who did not report back to the visa office in 2011, as required. It is not known how many were sponsored by the Ontario kabaddi federations.

In January, the Ontario Federation of Sports and Cultural Organizations, based in Mississauga, was told by Immigration Canada that eight of its players had not reported back in India.

The organization’s president, Onkar Grewal, said only one of its players is still not back. “Seven others have since returned,” he said, adding that he had been associated with kabaddi in Canada for 22 years and has seen nothing like this.

The other kabaddi federation in Peel Region, the Sports and Cultural Federation of Ontario, is on the hook for two players, spokesperson Randhir Rana admitted. He added that the local sports clubs the two players were playing for have been fined $15,000 each by the federation and won’t be allowed to get another player from India for the next two years.

“We don’t want all these things to happen … for players to go missing,” he said. “It is bad for the sport and for the community. Human smuggling is the last thing kabaddi should be associated with.”

Numerous kabaddi officials and players point fingers at a new Hamilton kabaddi club, saying 30 of the players it recommended never returned to India.

Kulwant Randhawa, president of that club, denies the claim, saying that all players his club recommended have returned.

The scandal is almost certain to have repercussions for the sport that players say they have worked hard to bring to Canada, and it could close doors for legitimate players from India.

“We struggled to introduce kabaddi here,” said Lalli, a kabaddi player in Brampton.

“Now some people, just to make a bit of money, are misusing these visas.”

What is kabaddi?

Kabaddi was developed about 4,000 years ago to train warriors.

• The modern game features two teams of 10 players on a circular field 23 metres in diameter. Alternate teams send one “raider” to the other side, where he has 30 seconds to tag one of four “stoppers.” The raider then has to return to his territory. Once the tag is made, it is a one-on-one battle between the raider, trying to get back, and the stoppers trying to hold him back.

• A successful trip earns a point. If tackled, pinned or stopped from getting back to his half in 30 seconds, the other side scores one.

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